[Akira is both a night owl and early bird, as it turns out, barely valuing sleep above having more time to cram eight million hobbies and chores into his already busy schedule. He's relatively free when Shinjiro comes knocking, at least, setting his book down on his desk to answer the door with brows arched in surprise.]
Oh. Hey, Aragaki. Did I leave the stove on or something?
If that'd been the case, I wouldn't have been askin'.
[ Leaving a normal stove on is one thing, but the wood stove...please don't do that. His PTSD.
Anyway. Shinjiro gives his head a shake, hand coming to rub at the back of his neck. There's an faint awkward, uncomfortable air he has at the moment, but he covers it up with his usual exhausted stare. ]
'S about something else. [ A shift. He's not usually the one coming to people's rooms as opposed to the other way around... ] You mind if I come in?
[...Oh, hm. Yeah. The awkward tension's enough to slice with a knife, so Akira steps to one side and motions for Shinjiro to come in. No need to linger over the threshold like a vampire.]
Nah, make yourself comfy.
[He'll slide the door closed behind Shinjiro. There are multiple places he can park his ass: Akira's bed, the wooden chair by his desk, the black leather couch... Of course, if Shinjiro wants to stand around stiffly conversing, Akira can roll with that too. Frankly, this situation is surprising enough that he's not going to fuss over the finer details.]
Shinjiro will give a small nod of affirmation before stepping into the younger boy's room, only giving it a bare look-over. Cozy, huh.
Awkwardly standing would be his MO, but considering what they're gonna have to talk about, Shinjiro's just gonna yank the desk chair over to take a seat. Between that and Akira's question, a brief moment of silence where he seems to be debating on what exactly he wants to say. ]
...Solomon sent me your way. [ Just to get that out of the way. ] After some shit in that damn forest in the North.
[ Judging by the way his eyes sharpen as they peer out from underneath the shadow of his bangs, it's clear he's looking intently for whatever reaction he's going to get at that. Positive? Negative? ]
[Akira will seat himself on the arm of the couch so he's facing Shinjiro, and... Solomon, huh? Akira's brows make a mad dash for his hairline, but he doesn't say much. Then there's the matter of that forest in the North and the likely scenario that one or both of them had to experience each other's memories.
...Akira doesn't have anything to say about that, either, glancing off to the side with an expression that's hard to discern much from. His sigh is an indicator of how he feels, at least, his tired eyes ultimately finding Shinjiro's.]
Were you treated to his horror story of a life, or was it the other way around?
[Why Solomon would send Shinjiro to him is something Akira can only speculate on now, but he won't even go that far. If Shinjiro's here now, it's because he's resolved to tell Akira whatever it is Solomon convinced him to relay to him. He's listening.]
[ He's not really surprised at the look of Akira's eyebrows attempting to abscond off his face at that, if he's being honest. Try as people do to keep their shit behind closed doors, something gets out. Sometimes you can cut the tension in this mansion with a knife.
Shinjiro merely watches, but he can pick up on that look anywhere. The tired glance in the younger's eyes reflects his own, especially with the pointed question. That makes him look away, fingers idly pulling his hat a bit further down over his eyes. ]
Both, I guess.
[ Shinjiro's was certainly not as much of a horror show as Solomon's, at least, but the double whammy had not done his nerves any good.
A shift in the chair, before he leans forward with his elbows on his knees. He's never been the roundabout type, even if he prefers to keep his shit to himself, so he's just gonna go ahead. ]
He said we reacted way too similar. [ To the loss of control, to the agonizing feeling of something powerful inside you writhing in an attempt to escape no matter what. ] So, I'm just gonna cut the shit.
[He can't exactly disagree with the wise old man's stance on these things, but he's about to ask Shinjiro how Solomon figured when the question of Personas comes up. That explains everything.
As he had with Maya, Akira answers honestly.]
Of course. I have one or two of my own.
[Or, you know, 200-ish. Akira studies Shinjiro's face, on the way he tugs his beanie over his eyes, on the uncharacteristic anxiety in his wringing hands. An ill feeling settles in his gut. It's the same feeling he gets when he knows to anticipate the worst, but... why now?]
...You must have one too, but they're not much help to us here where we can't use them. What are you getting at?
[ ...He's not too sure what he was expecting, but he does appreciate the bluntness.
It's the 'two' that has him visibly startled, eyes widening for a few brief moments before he straightens out again. Not...normal, per-say, but it technically wouldn't be the first time? ]
...So you're like Arisato, huh.
[ That guy and his endless cycling of personas, something only he could do compared to the rest of them. His hand scratches at the back of his neck, at that; it doesn't really change anything, but he tucks it away all the same. ]
Yeah, I do. Not that it bothers me any, not having it.
[ Him and Castor have a....tumultuous relationship, to say the least.
But the ultimate question is raised, and Shinjiro lapses back into a moment of silence. He got his confirmation, and that settles right. It opens the door, in a sense, to what else he wants to ask. ]
Then we're probably from the same place, is what I'm guessing. [ After all, personas are not something he imagines can be found in many other worlds, or whichever bullshit is going on. ] So I got two things I wanna ask, first. The first is what year is it where you're from, and the second....
[ He leans a bit more forward in his chair, eyes narrowing slightly. ]
[Akira shrugs. Arisato? Never heard of the guy, but he must be pretty cool if he's got multiple Personas at his disposal. So much for being special and unique, huh?
...Though, it does make him wonder what beef Shinjiro has with his Persona. It sounds like he doesn't miss it, but why? Personas are a lot more convenient than the magic here, but on the flipside, Akira could argue he's biased on account of all the power he has at his disposal when his Personas are present. Those with only one might feel differently, but... that still doesn't quite explain it.
Welp, he knows how Shinjiro is liable to react if he pries, so Akira focuses on the topic at hand. One of those questions is easy to ask, while the other—]
2016. The Dark Hour sounds like some small-time emo band, so I'm guessing that's not what it is. Care to explain?
[ It probably sounds odd, even if he doesn't know the other boy's circumstances. Most people with personas, he's come to find, don't despise theirs like he does. But most of them also probably have better control over it, or haven't come to associate the thing with dread.
Well. He doesn't need to tell Akira everything. It's not important, anyway.
However.
'2016' has his face scrunching a bit, brows knitting as he digests. That's...7 years in the future, huh. He'd have been...25? Had things gone differently, that is.
Fortunately, he can't dwell on that much when 'small-time emo band' dips him back into bewilderment, features blanking out for a second as he gives Akira an incredulous look. You know what? Let's not even address that. Moving on. ]
...Right. When I left, it was 2009. [ Hm. How to tread this. ] It's an extra hour in the day, right at midnight. Normal people can't see it, only those with personas can. With how damn gloomy and creepy it is, no way in hell you could miss it.
[ But if it doesn't ring any bells for the younger boy, then...there's always a chance he just doesn't know the name, but maybe there's a small hope in his chest. ]
I'm gonna guess you haven't experienced that, though.
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no subject
Oh. Hey, Aragaki. Did I leave the stove on or something?
[If so, he's well within his rights to slug him.]
no subject
[ Leaving a normal stove on is one thing, but the wood stove...please don't do that. His PTSD.
Anyway. Shinjiro gives his head a shake, hand coming to rub at the back of his neck. There's an faint awkward, uncomfortable air he has at the moment, but he covers it up with his usual exhausted stare. ]
'S about something else. [ A shift. He's not usually the one coming to people's rooms as opposed to the other way around... ] You mind if I come in?
no subject
Nah, make yourself comfy.
[He'll slide the door closed behind Shinjiro. There are multiple places he can park his ass: Akira's bed, the wooden chair by his desk, the black leather couch... Of course, if Shinjiro wants to stand around stiffly conversing, Akira can roll with that too. Frankly, this situation is surprising enough that he's not going to fuss over the finer details.]
So... what's up?
no subject
Shinjiro will give a small nod of affirmation before stepping into the younger boy's room, only giving it a bare look-over. Cozy, huh.
Awkwardly standing would be his MO, but considering what they're gonna have to talk about, Shinjiro's just gonna yank the desk chair over to take a seat. Between that and Akira's question, a brief moment of silence where he seems to be debating on what exactly he wants to say. ]
...Solomon sent me your way. [ Just to get that out of the way. ] After some shit in that damn forest in the North.
[ Judging by the way his eyes sharpen as they peer out from underneath the shadow of his bangs, it's clear he's looking intently for whatever reaction he's going to get at that. Positive? Negative? ]
no subject
...Akira doesn't have anything to say about that, either, glancing off to the side with an expression that's hard to discern much from. His sigh is an indicator of how he feels, at least, his tired eyes ultimately finding Shinjiro's.]
Were you treated to his horror story of a life, or was it the other way around?
[Why Solomon would send Shinjiro to him is something Akira can only speculate on now, but he won't even go that far. If Shinjiro's here now, it's because he's resolved to tell Akira whatever it is Solomon convinced him to relay to him. He's listening.]
no subject
Shinjiro merely watches, but he can pick up on that look anywhere. The tired glance in the younger's eyes reflects his own, especially with the pointed question. That makes him look away, fingers idly pulling his hat a bit further down over his eyes. ]
Both, I guess.
[ Shinjiro's was certainly not as much of a horror show as Solomon's, at least, but the double whammy had not done his nerves any good.
A shift in the chair, before he leans forward with his elbows on his knees. He's never been the roundabout type, even if he prefers to keep his shit to himself, so he's just gonna go ahead. ]
He said we reacted way too similar. [ To the loss of control, to the agonizing feeling of something powerful inside you writhing in an attempt to escape no matter what. ] So, I'm just gonna cut the shit.
[ Absentmindedly, his fingers tighten. ]
Kurusu. Do you know what a persona is?
no subject
[He can't exactly disagree with the wise old man's stance on these things, but he's about to ask Shinjiro how Solomon figured when the question of Personas comes up. That explains everything.
As he had with Maya, Akira answers honestly.]
Of course. I have one or two of my own.
[Or, you know, 200-ish. Akira studies Shinjiro's face, on the way he tugs his beanie over his eyes, on the uncharacteristic anxiety in his wringing hands. An ill feeling settles in his gut. It's the same feeling he gets when he knows to anticipate the worst, but... why now?]
...You must have one too, but they're not much help to us here where we can't use them. What are you getting at?
no subject
It's the 'two' that has him visibly startled, eyes widening for a few brief moments before he straightens out again. Not...normal, per-say, but it technically wouldn't be the first time? ]
...So you're like Arisato, huh.
[ That guy and his endless cycling of personas, something only he could do compared to the rest of them. His hand scratches at the back of his neck, at that; it doesn't really change anything, but he tucks it away all the same. ]
Yeah, I do. Not that it bothers me any, not having it.
[ Him and Castor have a....tumultuous relationship, to say the least.
But the ultimate question is raised, and Shinjiro lapses back into a moment of silence. He got his confirmation, and that settles right. It opens the door, in a sense, to what else he wants to ask. ]
Then we're probably from the same place, is what I'm guessing. [ After all, personas are not something he imagines can be found in many other worlds, or whichever bullshit is going on. ] So I got two things I wanna ask, first. The first is what year is it where you're from, and the second....
[ He leans a bit more forward in his chair, eyes narrowing slightly. ]
The Dark Hour. That ringing any bells?
no subject
...Though, it does make him wonder what beef Shinjiro has with his Persona. It sounds like he doesn't miss it, but why? Personas are a lot more convenient than the magic here, but on the flipside, Akira could argue he's biased on account of all the power he has at his disposal when his Personas are present. Those with only one might feel differently, but... that still doesn't quite explain it.
Welp, he knows how Shinjiro is liable to react if he pries, so Akira focuses on the topic at hand. One of those questions is easy to ask, while the other—]
2016. The Dark Hour sounds like some small-time emo band, so I'm guessing that's not what it is. Care to explain?
no subject
Well. He doesn't need to tell Akira everything. It's not important, anyway.
However.
'2016' has his face scrunching a bit, brows knitting as he digests. That's...7 years in the future, huh. He'd have been...25? Had things gone differently, that is.
Fortunately, he can't dwell on that much when 'small-time emo band' dips him back into bewilderment, features blanking out for a second as he gives Akira an incredulous look. You know what? Let's not even address that. Moving on. ]
...Right. When I left, it was 2009. [ Hm. How to tread this. ] It's an extra hour in the day, right at midnight. Normal people can't see it, only those with personas can. With how damn gloomy and creepy it is, no way in hell you could miss it.
[ But if it doesn't ring any bells for the younger boy, then...there's always a chance he just doesn't know the name, but maybe there's a small hope in his chest. ]
I'm gonna guess you haven't experienced that, though.